1. Field of the Invention
This specification relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal having a flexible display unit which is bendable or foldable partially or wholly.
2. Background of the Invention
A mobile terminal includes all types of devices provided with a battery and a flexible display unit and carried by a user. The devices are configured to output information to the flexible display unit using power supplied from the battery. The mobile terminal includes a device for recording and playing moving images, a device for displaying a graphic user interface (GUI), etc., which includes a notebook, a mobile phone, glasses, a watch, a game console, etc.
Such mobile terminal has become increasingly more functional. Examples of such functions include data and voice communications, capturing images and video via a camera, recording audio, playing music files via a speaker system, and displaying images and video on a display. Some mobile terminals include additional functionality which supports game playing, while other mobile terminals are configured as multimedia players. More recently, mobile terminals have been configured to receive broadcast and multicast signals which permit viewing of content such as videos and television programs.
Such mobile terminal is being evolved to have various designs. In order to satisfy a user's needs for more novel and various designs, efforts are ongoing to develop the mobile terminal of a newer type. The newer type includes structural changes and improvements to use the mobile terminal more conveniently. One of such structural changes and improvements is a mobile terminal including at least part of a flexible display unit that can be bent or folded.
However, the mobile terminal which is bendable or foldable has the following disadvantages. Firstly, screen information output from a flexible display unit has a degraded quality due to a bendable characteristic of the mobile terminal, or a touch input is applicable only to one surface of the mobile terminal even in a bent state.
In case of a mobile terminal which can be implemented in a folded state and an unfolded state, a user has an inconvenience in stably holding the mobile terminal, at the time of applying a touch input with supporting a transformed state of the mobile terminal. That is, it is inconvenient to apply a touch input to the flexible display unit disposed on one surface of the mobile terminal, with an operation to transform the mobile terminal.
Further, a user has a difficulty in moving his or her hand which is holding the mobile terminal, so as to apply a touch input in a bent state of the mobile terminal.